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Best Ways To Celebrate World Humanitarian Day In Detroit

By Liz Parker

World Humanitarian Day takes place every year on August 19th, and recognizes aid workers who work in humanitarian service, as well as mobilize people "to advocate for humanitarian action." The General Assembly originally started the holiday, which coincides with the 2003 bombing anniversary of UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq. What can we do in Detroit to help locally, and/or attend events commemorating this day? Check out the list below for some ideas.

Donate
www.launchgood.com/project/humanitarian_birthday_bash_2017#

The easiest way to help is to donate, and the Humanitarian Birthday Bash, on launchgood.com, aims to do that. Fatima, the creator of the page, is raising funds for the Detroit Rescue Mission and Dream of Detroit, both of which are doing great work in the city. Her fundraiser, the "Humanitarian Birthday Bash" (HBB2017), aims to show support for these two organizations.Another option would be to donate directly to the charity or organization of your choice.

Volunteer
UNICEF USA
www.unicefusa.org/supporters/volunteers

UNICEF USA is always looking for volunteers, and it is easy to sign up on their website. Volunteers "support UNICEF's mission of putting children first," and they accept volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. The goal of their volunteers is to educate, advocate, and fundraise on behalf of UNICEF in their local communities. There are different ways to get involved, too, including joining a UNICEF club (local) if you're in high school or college; organizing a fundraiser or event; or joining UNICEF's group for 20/30-somethings, the UNICEF Next Generation, and giving your time and/or resources.

Attend an event
Humanitarian Birthday Bash
DRMM Banquet Hall
138 Stimson St.
Detroit, MI 482017
www.hbb2017.ticketleap.com

Date: August 19, 2017, at 6 p.m.

If you'd rather attend an event that simply donate, the 2017 Humanitarian Birthday Bash, organized by the same person who organized the webpage under Donate (above), would be a fun event to attend. It will be held at the DRMM Banquet Hall, in Detroit, and doors are at 6 p.m.; guests are invited to browse local and global humanitarian showcases. The event will begin at 7 p.m. with dinner served at 7:30 p.m., and the event concludes at 8:30 p.m. There will be performances and an award ceremony, as well, and guests are invited to stay until 10 p.m. to enjoy the DJ that will be present. All funds that are raised from the event will be split between the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries and Dream of Detroit.

Related: Best Upcoming Charity Events in Detroit

Run A Marathon
Detroit Free Press/Chemical Bank Marathon
160 W. Fort St.
Detroit, MI 48226
(586) 977-7525
www.freepmarathon.com

Date: October 13 through October 15, 2017 at 7 a.m.

When you run in the Free Press marathon, your money and any funds raised goes toward charities: in 2016, 40 charities raised $1.7 million because of the marathon. The marathon calls this its "Run for a Reason" program, and runners can designate an official charity during registration; this means that you have the option to raise funds for your charity. Runners can check out the Official Charities section of the website to see which charities are eligible - United Way, Hope Water International, Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation, and the American Diabetes Association are just a few of the charities listed.

Related: Best Upcoming Summer Charity Events in Metro Detroit

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